WAC Highlight: Critical Language Awareness Resource-Building Event

In the summer of 2024, faculty from diverse disciplines at ECU—including anthropology, communications, chemistry, child & family sciences, education, English, kinesiology, psychology, and theater & dance—came together for a one-week Critical Language Awareness (CLA) Resource-Building Event at the University Writing Center. This initiative highlights the importance of embracing students’ languages and dialects as assets in writing classrooms, rather than viewing them as obstacles. A CLA approach empowers students to thrive in classrooms that recognize and celebrate various linguistic practices, equipping them with the skills to navigate diverse linguistic contexts confidently. Research continues to point to critical language awareness and pedagogies as key elements in successful retention and persistence for students at all levels.

Over the course of the week, 12 dedicated instructors engaged in deep discussions of scholarship, critically examinedlinguistic privilege, reflected on their teaching practices, and collaboratively developed resources aimed at creating more welcoming and inclusive classrooms. The culmination of their work is now available in a Digital Teaching Toolbox, featuring a carefully curated selection of resources. These include examples of labor-based contract grading, self-assessment tools, a language and dialogue questionnaire, strategies for enhancing students’ rhetorical and linguistic abilities, and scaffolded writing projects that encourage students to write for personally significant purposes, expressing themselves authentically in their own voices.

We are excited to announce that these resources will also be featured in two upcoming WAC (Writing Across the Curriculum) workshops: October 23rd at 3pm in Joyner 1008, and November 7th at 3pm online.

We invite you to explore, adapt, and build upon the ideas shared in the Digital Teaching Toolbox. Additionally, we encourage you to contribute your own teaching tools on our Submissions Page, sharing your strategies for enhancing students’ linguistic skills, reducing writing anxiety, fostering a sense of belonging, and promoting student wellness and persistence.